Bead-covering apparatus



Sept. 29, 1925.

' v F. D. FOWLERv BEAD COVERING APPARATUS 4 Sheets-Sheet l @AN N Wrlwim llrllllilidl-A Kimi.. mm1.

Filed Dec. 14. 1923 In lnvenor.

Reed ganzer,

F. D. FOWLER sem.z9,19z5. 1,554,998

BEAD COVERING APPARATUS Filed Dec. 14, 192:- 4 vShw'cs--s'heet2 u; iv l T( L *L I v V l? L 4 9 Ingenio?? 56111.29, 1925. L mamasy j F. D. FOWLER BEAD COVERING APPARATUS Fled Dec. 14, 192.3 4 Sheets-*Sheet 3 In uen for# Sept. 29, 1925. 1,554,998

F. D. FOWLER BEAD COVERING APPARATUS Filed Dect.` 14 1925 4'ShQBtS-She91f 4- l i i294. 181" 1.9 .20

2a l1| l l I ,a I i; 146 a@ 5 we I Ill 'l 143 I 16/I f a@ Innen/i021.'

Patented Sept. 29, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. f

COMPANY, OF WATERTOWN, MASSACHUSETTS,

SETTS.

A CORPORATION OF MASSACHU- BEAD-COVERIN G APPARATUS.

Application led December 14, 1923. Serial No. 880,898.

To all lwhom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, FRED D. FowLER, a

i citizen of the United States, and resident of Watertown, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bead- Covering Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in machines designed to apply rubberized covering strips to bead cores such as` are incorporated in the edges of open-bellied, or double-tube pneumatic tires, and is herein shown as embodied in apparatus for applying such strips to cores intended for use in the clincher type of tire.

The inventlon aims to provide a simple, economical and durable form of apparatus, utilizing but little floor space, which will smoothly and evenly apply the fabric to a' bead core of endless form, the core being maintained during such operation in a horizontal plane.

With these and other .objects in view, the invention includes the novel features of construction and arrangement and combihation of parts hereinafter described, and particularly defined by the appended claims.

An embodiment of my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in whichz- Figure 1 is a plan view of an apparatus or machine constructed in accordance with my invention.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation.

Fig. 3 is a section through the first set of operating rolls, and

Fig. 3* an enlarged sectional view of the core and strip at the first operating position. y Fi 4 is a section through the second set of ro ls, and y Fig. 4 an enlarged detail of the bead and str1 FEig. 5`is a section through the third set of operating rolls, and

Fig. 5 an enlarged detail of the core and strFip, and

1g. 6 is a plan view of Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a detail section through the travelling band and associated rolls, with the driving means therefor.

Refering by reference characters to these drawings, the numeral 1` Idesignates a supporting table mounted upon standards 1* (shown broken away for convenience) so as to be at a height suitable for the operator Mounted at a suitable point upon the table :s afguide trough 2, by which the covering strip or band of rubberized fabric 3 is received from any suitable sourceand guided to the juxtaposing or assemblin devices, passing.y first around the idle ro l 4 and thence up around the idle roll 5 flanged to prevent fabric from slipping due to any ir-l regularity in bead where it meets the bead core 6 which is properly positioned thereon. This bead core is of substantially triangular formation, as shown, and having one fiat and one convex face meeting at an acute angle, as indicated at 6, and havin the third side 6b (opposite said acute ang e) of concave form. I have found that advantageous results are secured by juxta osing the bead core and fabric strip in suc a manner that said edge 6a will be pressed against the strip at approximately the center line thereof and with one face of the bead held vertical, and thereafter the fabric strip manipulated in the manner described below.

To this end I provide a guide roll 7 which is journaled on a vertical axis directly labove the axis of roll 5 and with its lower end spaced far enough above the surface of roll 5 to permit free passage of a splice in the fabric. To maintain the fabric strip in proper position on roll 5, it is provided with flanges, and a simple form of roll construction providing'these, is to make the roll body in the form of a cylinder and provide heads 5a having annular opposed grooves into which the ends of the cylinder engage,I the peripheries of the heads projecting beyond the roll surface and forming the aforesaid flanges.

Rolls 4 and 5 are preferably journaled by anti-friction bearings on shafts 4X and 5x carried bystandards 8 rising from the table 1, and roll 7 is likewise journaled by antifriction bearings on a stub axle 7 x supported by the curved upper end of a bracket 9 which may be conveniently secured to projected ends' of'shafts 4x and 5K by nuts w.

Cooperating with rolls 5 and 7 is a resser roll l10 which is journaled by antiriction bearings on a stub shaft 10x carried by a bracket member 11 articulated upon a support 12 and provided with an operating handle 10V. Bracket 11 is acted upon by springs 13 which, in one position, tend to swing the roll 10 towards the rolls 5'and 7, causing the roll to press the bead into the angle formed by rolls and 7. Vhen the bead core is to be inserted the operator grasps handle 1t)y and moves it in the proper direction against the tensin of the springs, and if the movement is continued far enough the upper ends of the springs are carried past the dead center andl the presser roll held in ineffective position.

Said presser roll 10 has a grooved periphery forming two walls or faces 10'c1 and 10b,

one 'of which, 10 is curved or convex to conform to the concave upper facefof the bead, while the other is convex, being struck from the point of the swinging arm which carries this roll, so that as the roll is swung to and from operative position, this face will clear the side face of the bead. The wheel also has a groove at the point where these faces converge to receive the convex edge at the heel of the bead.

The bead, having been superposed on the fabri-c strip and pressed thereagainst by the roll or wheel 10, it then passes between two pairs of successively coacting roller members, at which time the fabric is folded about the bead, as hereinafter described.

Said pairs of coacting r-ollscomprise two lower grooved rolls 14 and 15, which are mounted on shafts 14X and 15X provided with sprockets 14y and 15y fast thereon around which pass sprocket chain 16 which meshes with sprocket 17 carried by drive shaft17a to which power may be applied in any suitable manner, and which is exemplified by the hand crank 17h.

The roll 14 has a grooved periphery providing two faces 14a and 14h, the formerof which is fiat or straight, and conforms to the.

flat side of the bead and is disposed in alignment with the bead engaging portion of the periphery of roll 7, )yhile the other face, 14", is concave to lit the convex face ofthe bead or bead core. Mounted above this roll 14, and cooperating therewith, is

a roll-18 having a convex periphery which is designed to coact with the concave face of the bead core and press the same into the groove of the roll 14, thereby drawing the fabric covering up over, and causing it to be pressed firmly against the respective sides of the bead core, as shown in Figs. 4 and 4a. The roll 18 is preferably journaled on anti-friction bearings on a shaft carried by a fork member 18a which is carried by a supporting arm 19 carried by a bracket member 20, which is articulated-on a support 21 and is under the tension of springs 22 which tend, in one position of the arm 19, and as shown in Fig. 4, to press the roll -18 against the bead core. Fdrk 18a has an extended shank whitch carries a handle 18b by which arm 19 may be swung to move the presser roll away from the roll 14, which movement may be continued far struction.

enough to swing the upper end of the spring past the dead center and thereby hold the roll 18 out of operative position.

As shown in Fig. 4, the fabric strip has been applied to two faces of the bead core, leaving the projecting flaps or free edge portions 3 and 3 respectively. The next operation is to fold the Hap or portion 3 across the concave face of the bead and press it there-against with its edge overlapping the base or inner portion of the flap 3b.. To accomplish this the bead core with its fabric covering applied as aforesaid, is led to the roll l5 which has its periphery provided with a groove 15a of the same shape as the groove in the periphery of the roll 14, .and cooperating with this is a rotary presser member or roll 23 which has its periphery provided with a convex portion adapted to press the iap 3a ontothe concave side of the bead and unite it 'firmly thereto, and also has a flared sidewall which cooperates with va stationary presser member 24 to press the free edges of the flaps together. This member 24 is preferably in the shape of a curved bar or strip of resilient sheet metal, having a portion bolt d or otherwise secured to the bearing brackets of the rolls 14 and'l, as shown. Thesaid roll 23 is, like the roll 18, mounted in a fork and spring-pressed toward roll 15, and provided .with a manipulating handle enabling this roll to be manipulated in exactly' the Same manner as is the roll 18 heretofore described, but act at an angle in relation to its companion roll 15, and as the arrangement of pivoted mounting and spring connection is substantiallygthe same, repetition of the description is deemed unnecessary.

As hereinbefore stated, I have found that the bead cores can be most effectively coveredif supported in a. horizontal position, and to this end I provide at the back of the machine an endless supporting band 25, having a surface designed to coact with the tacky material employed for bead con- This band 25 passes over end guide rolls 25a and 25h, and I prefer to so mount the belt that the returning or idle portion will lie directly under, and be protected by the work supporting portion, as shown in detail in Fig. 7, and to this end I pass the belt over the rollers 25", 25d and 25e, as shown in said Fig. 7. The conveyor belt travels at a slightly higher speed, than the bead does through the forming rollers, so

that the bel-t is, at all times, pulling the bead into firm contact with the idle roller 3 0. This serves to maintain the bead in substantially a constant position in leaving the second operating roll in order to hold a uniform margin. rI his faster speed of the conveyor also insures slack at the enteringl end of the machine, which prevents stretching of the beads.

Clincher beads, being extensible, are of course. flexible, and co-operating with the rear edge of the travelling band is a stationary guard 26 which causes the bead tb be deflected into the form of an elongated oval, by which means the machine may be relatively shallow, In addition to the efli` ciency in covering, the advantage of holding the bead in horizontal position and in the shape of an elongated ellipse, is that not only can the operation of the covering rollers be observed by the operator, but the covered portion of the strip of the bead, as 'it passes along the conveyor, is equally within range of the eye of the operator and thus he can watch for and detect `any defects. The belt is driven from sprocket 27 carried by shaft 17 1through the intermediary of a sprocket chain 28 and sprocket 29 on the shaft of the roller 25e, which helps support the belt 25. A roll 30 journaled on a vertical axis', receives thecovered bead as it issues from between the rolls 15 and 23, this roll having a horizontal supporting flange 30i upon which the bead rests. Guide rolls 31 are provided at the opposite end of the ma chine, between which the bead passes, and

by which it is directed between the rolls 5,y

l and 10, hereinbefore described.

At the first operating roll 14 there is a stationary guide member 32 formed with or secured to the bracket 18 in which said roll is journaled. This member 'extends alongside the rollV and lengthwise of the fabric and bead. This guide is to prevent the long flap of the fabric, i. e., the flap lying on the operators side of the bead, from accidentally foldingover and touching the shorter flap of fabric on the far side of the bead until such tim'e that this shorter flap has been properly rolled down into the concave face of the bead by the second operating roll 23,

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. In apparatus for covering beads, a :ylindrical roller, means for guiding a covering strip thereto,'a roller journaled on an axis perpendicular to the surfaceof said first named roller, and having its end spaced therefrom to permit passage of the strip, and a presser roller located in a plane substantially bisecting the angle formed by the adjacent surfaces of` Said first and second` rollers, means for yieldingly pressing said presser roller towards said first named two rollers, said presser roller having a grooved periphery and said second roller being positioned with its bead guiding portion approximately centrally of the width of the strip.'

2. In apparatus for` covering beads, a Cylindrical roller having guide flanges,

rollers and upon the fabric strip7 and a presser roller journaled 1n an mchned plane and having a grooved periphery to coact with the bead,'and means for pressing said pressing roller against the bead.

3. In apparatus for covering endless bead cores, means for guiding a covering strip, means for pressing ajbead core onto said strip, succeeding means for folding the strip about the bead, and an endless supporting band over which the intermediate portion of said bead passes, with means for moving said supporting band. l

4. In apparatus for covering endless bead peores,` means for guiding a covering strip,

means for pressing a beadicore onto said strip, succeeding means for folding the strip about the bead, and an endless supporting band over which the intermediate portion of said bead passes, with means for moving said supporting band, and a guide wall associated with said band for deflecting said bead into the form of an elongated oval.

In combination in apparatus for covaring endless bead cores, means for applying a fabric strip to the core, and means for imparting movement to the portion otl the endless bead core which lies outside of said applying means to create slack at the feedingin end of the applying means, substantially as described.

6. In combination 'in apparatus of the class described, means for directing a bead core and fabric covering strip into contact with `an apex of the bead pressed against the central portion ofthe strip, a pair of rolls by which the covering strip is turned up at its side edges to embrace the bead core, and leave flaps of said strip projecting above said core, a guard arranged adjacent said rolls to keep the said flaps separated, and a second pair of rolls for completing the wrapping of the covering strip about the bead core, substantially as described.

7. In apparatus for' covering'` endless bead cores, means for jnxtaposing a covering stripxand bead core and folding the former aboutthelatter, a movable support over which the intermediate portion of the bead passes, and a guide member associated with said wall for deflecting said bead into the form of an elongated oval.

In testimony whereof, affix my signa- 

